My Crafty Week

This was a bit of a crazy week, as I helped both of my kids get packed up and out to the airport to fly East to go back to college.  In between everything, I had snippets of crafty time, and today I am finally ready to put the finishing touches on everything and write up this blog post.

First up is a little set of flat thank you cards I sent my daughter back to school with..her birthday is coming up, and it's always good to be prepared to send thank you notes.  These flat note cards are her favorite type--just enough room for a proper thanks, but not the vast open expanse of a folding card.

My cute puppies are from Mama Elephant Puppy Play, and I am entering them at Inspired by #139.

My next few cards use a technique called SWINKING that I just learned from this video by Ardyth.  It is so fun, easy and absolutely addictive.  Basically, you just swipe your inkpad directly on your card.  For this card, I used inkpads in orange, pink, yellow and peach, and just started swinking.  The result could have been an absolute mess, but actually turned out so pretty.

I had to figure out what to do with this beautiful background I made, so I decided to put a black birthday die cut on it as well as wipe the edges in Wink of Stella.  I am entering this card at Color Throwdown #608.

Still in a SWINKING kind of mood, I wanted to play along with Seize the Birthday #198: Add Gold, and wondered what pink paper swinked with gold would look like.  It's very hard to see how shimmery this pink background is, but trust me it really shines in person.

Here is a closer look at the SWINKING.  I heat embossed the sentiment from Penned Elegance by PTI in gold on a Big City die by Ellen Hutson.

For my last SWINKED card, I used gold ink on white cardstock.  I stamped a trio of gold butterflies right on top as well as my sentiment in black.  I am also entering this card at Seize the Birthday #198: Add Gold and at Just Us Girls #551: Butterflies.  My butterflies are from PTI Butterfly Blooms and the sentiment is from PTI Ombre Sentiments Birthday.

My next card is inspired by the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches #450 and features these 2 adorable Nom Nom Kitties by Mama Elephant happily sharing their ramen.

This card ended up so very different than my initial idea....I stamped a bunch of Brownstone Houses from Altenew and intended them for this card.  But, I couldn't get them to work with the sketch, so I went another direction..using stencils from MFT for my clouds and sun rays and plant from Altenew Indoor Garden.

I am entering this card at the sketch challenge for August at Altenew as well as Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge: Beautiful Botanicals.

And...this is what I did with all those fun and colorful brownstones I stamped.  I am entering this card at Inkspirational #220: Rain or Rainbow.  I think of this as sort of a Painted Ladies of San Francisco meets the Brownstones of Brooklyn.

Getting tired?  Almost done.  My next two cards are made from the latest batch of stamps and dies from this month's MMH kit.  I am entering them at Stay Crafty with Hero #14: Critters (cat in 1st card, cat and bird in 2nd card), A Blog Named Hero: Cute, and Shopping Our Stash #427: Pile it On.

I am also entering this first card at Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge: Beautiful Botanicals.

Thanks for sticking with me all the way to the end.  Please stay safe and stay crafty.

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With Love and Happy Birthday

One of my goals for 2017 was to create more for fun, and today I am happy to share 2 cards I made for some fun challenges.

First up is a card using a brand new stamp from PTI--Splits With Love.  I was inspired by the colors at Color Throw Down #424.

I am also entering this card at Simon Says Monday Start Afresh and Simon Says Wednesday New Something.

And, I am squeaking in at the last moment with a card for CAS(E) This Sketch #202.  I used three sizes of the flower image from Verve Poppy Birthday and the Rose Petal collection of ombre inks from Altenew.

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Masculine Birthday and L'Shanah Tovah

This week, we are challenged to use florals on a masculine card at PTI Make it Monday #261.  I used Peaceful Gardens and Larger than Life and a masculine color palatte for my card.

I often use trees or leaves on masculine cards, but this is the first time I have actually used flowers.  I picked some flowers that did not look too floral, along with other nature images.

I am in the process of mass producing a bunch of Jewish New Years cards that I need to mail by next week.  The design fits the challege this week at The Paper Players #313: CAS Taste of Fall.

I used PTI What the Doodle Apple and a sentiment from L'Shanah Tovah.

Here is a peek at the inside.

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My Crafty Week

I had lots of crafty time this week, as my younest daughter finally started school on Tuesday.

First up is a card using this week's Make it Monday #260: From Black and White to Color.  I am also entering this card at Simon Says Monday Stamp It challenge.

Next up is a back to school card for my neice, who is working on her teaching credential.  This card was inspired by the photo at Curtain Call: Candy Apple.  I am also entering this card at Simon Says Wednesday Stamp It challenge.

And another version for the neice who's college has an elephant for their mascot.  This one uses the colors of a peacock and I am entering it at Less is More #292.

Last up is a card using a fun China Town cover plate die.  My design is inspired by the sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch #189.  I am also entering this card at Seize the Birthday.

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PTI Blog Hop May 2016

Hello.  I have a quick post today where I am playing along at the PTI Blog Hop as well as AAA Card's 2nd Birthday.

I was inspired by the popsicles in the photo.  I used Summer Sweetness stamps and stamped a random pattern all over a piece of water color paper.  Then I sprayed the paper with lots of water.  After the paper dried, I stamped on the popsicle sticks and the sentiment.from Ombre Sentiments Birthday.

I am also linking this card up at Simon Says Wednesday Anything Goes.

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